Watering-fountain for poultry.



"No. 645,680. Patented 'Mar. 20, I900.

A. H. CHAPMAN.

WATEBING FOUNTAIN FOB POULTRY.

(Application filed Mar. 13, 1899.

(No illodei.)

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Nrrnn STATES ATENT Fries.

.ALBERT l-I. CHAPMAN, OF UPTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHAPMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, CF SAME PLACE.

srncrrrcA'rroiv forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,680, dated March 20, 1900.

' Application filed March 13,1899. Serial No. 708,800. (No model- To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. CHAPMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Upton, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Watering Fountain for Poultry, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my present invention is to provide a convenient, efficient, and economical apparatus for supplying water to poultry or domestic fowls. To this end myinvention consists in an apparatus embracing the construction and combinations specified and defined in the following description and summary and illustrated in the drawings,wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved water-fountain for poultry. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the guard-cover or top portion separate from the other parts. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the drinking-basin'or water-receptacle separate from the reservoir and guard, which are removed therefrom; and Fig. 5 is a front view of a bracket-plate to be employed when it is desired to attach the'apparatus for support against an upright wall or surface.

On the several figures of the drawings the part marked A represents the water rec'ep tacle or basin, from which the fowls can drink. B indicates an arched guard-cover or protecting device arranged over this basin, and C indicates the supply-reservoir, from which the water is delivered to the basin as required. These parts, in accordance with my invention, are constructed and combined as follows: The basin A consists of a shallow iron pan or receptacle about eight inches across, more or less, and preferably of circular shape on plan, although other shape and material can in some instances be employed, if desired. The interior depth of the basin within the annular dip channel or space near its rim 2 is sufficient to allow a fowl to dip its bill in the contained water, and the central portion of the basin-bottom is preferably arched up- Ward, as at A. The rim of the basin is best provided with standing feet or supports 3, upon which it rests at proper height from the ground or floor. Fixed to the bottom of this basin and projecting upwardly therefrom I provide a standard, spike, or stem 5, at the foot of which are suitable radial lugs or ribs 4, formed level with each other at their top surfaces and adapted as a rest for the reservoir end above the bottom of the basin and having spaces 6 between them for affording free passage for water or air from and into the reservoir-orifice.

The guard B comprises a series of bars 7,

rigidly or integrally connected with an outer rim 8 and a central portion or ring 9 and having between said bars suitable spaces 10, through which the head of a fowl may be readily introduced for drinking from the basin, while the bars serve to prevent the fowl or chicks from getting into the basin bodily. The outer rim 8 of the guard is made to fit over the rim 2 of the basin and is supported thereon by lugs 11, that rest on the edge of the basin-rim, while the guard-rim is retained by lugs 12, formed on the basin-rim. 2 and beneath which said guard-rim can be readily locked and unlocked by passing its recesses 13 over said lugs 12 and giving a slight lateralturn to the guard relative to the basin. Thus the covering guard can be quickly removed from and replaced on the basin. This structure facilitates the cleaning of the interior and also renders the manufacture simple and economical. The bars 7 are arched or extended upward and radially join the central portion or ring 9 at a suitable distance above the level of the basin, as shown. The top ring 9 of the guard is located to stand directly over the stem 5 and axially concentric therewith, and its central opening 14 is of suitable dimension to receive and support the only opening to the interior, and which neck extends down through the ring 0 and over the stem 5, which is best made triangular or ribbed in cross-section and tapered to center the open end 16 of the neck and rests upon the lugs or ribs 1, where the mouth of the reservoir makes a dip-seal with the water in the basin, as fully shown by Figs. 1 and 2.

The spaces 6 and longitudinal grooves in the sides of the stem 5 afford ample passage into and from the reservoir-bottle for inlet of air and exit of water when the mouth is unsealed. A free-ball valve D is arranged in the reservoir-neck and is made of a size that will stop the neck-passage at a position less distant from the delivery-mouth than the length of the upright stem 5, so that when the reservoir is placed in its normal position the end of the stem lifts the ball and opens the. passage, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The apparatus is constructed for standing on the ground or upon a floor when in use; but I provide in some instances an attaching plate or bracket 20, adapted for afiixment to an upright surface, as the side wall or partition of a building or coop, said plate having suitable jaw-lugs 21 formed thereon, between which one of the standing legs 3 can be entered and the fountain thereby supported in horizontal position and projecting from said wall or upright surface. (See Fig. 5 and dotted lines, Fig. 2.)

In the operation of my invention the bottle or reservoir 0 is filled and is then inverted and placed in upright inverted position over the stem 5, where itis securely but unattachedly supported by the ring 9. The ball D beinglifted by the stem 5, the water flows out and fills the basin to a level 19 at which it seals the mouth of the reservoir. Then when the level becomes lowered to a degree that unseals the mouth air enters the reservoir and more water is let down into the basin, thereby maintaining the water-level within a given limit, the water being thus kept clean and gradually fed out as required into the basin, from which the fowls can drink, while prevented by the guard B from fouling the water.

The reservoir-bottle G being unattached can be readily lifted off for filling it, and when raised from the stem 5 the ball D falls and chokes the passage and prevents the escape of water from the inverted reservoir while removing or returning it to place.

Since it is well known that dip-seal reservoirs have heretofore been employed in differently-organized mechanisms in the arts, it will be understood that I do not herein claim, broadly,the idea of dip-sealing for the gradual delivery of liquids; neither do I clai m ,broadly, the idea of an automatic valve for invertlydelivering reservoirs in general; but my invention relates to the improved instrument embodying the peculiar structural organization and combinations as herein specifically defined.

I claim as of myinvention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A drinking-fountain for poultry, comprising, in combination as described, a drinkbasin having an annular dip-channel and.

standing rim, a central upwardly-projecting rigid stem formed upon the bottom plate of said basin, an inverted air-tight reservoir having a neck adapted to pass over said stem, a free-ball stopper within the neck of said reservoir, and an open -arched guard supporting said reservoir in upright inverted position. I 2. In a water-fountain for poultry, the removable inverted-bottle reservoir having a tapered neck, and a free outwardly-closing stopper-ball within the neck-passage of said reservoir; in combination with an open topped drinking-basin provided with the rigid upwardly-projecting longitudinally-grooved stem, with radial foot-lugs, rising from the basin-bottom and adapted for supporting and entering the neck of said reservoir and sus taining said ball when said reservoir is in normal position in relation to said basin, in the manner set forth.

3. A Water-fountain for'poultry, consisting of the iron basin having the annular dip-space and surrounding rim, the upwardly-arched bottom provided with the central upright stem integrally fixed thereon, with radial lugs at the base of said stem; and a covering-guard composed of the central ring portion, a lower outer ring fitting onto said basin-rim, and a series of bars integrally uniting said rings and having openings between; in combination, with the removable inverted-bottle reservoir having the tapered neck extending through said central guard-ring and fitting over said stem, its end resting on said lugs, and a free ball serving as a valve within said reservoir-neck, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4:. Inawater-fountain for poultry, the combination with the circular basin having the annular dip-channel and the upright-footed standing rim provided with outwardly-projecting lugs 12 on the exterior thereof, of the guard-cover composed of a central ring portion, an integrally-attached series of arched radial bars with intervening spaces between and the connecting outer ring adapted to fit over the periphery of the basin'rim,said guard ICC provided with recesses 13 in the outer ring,

and supporting-lugs 11 on its interior, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 8th day of March, 1899.

ALBERT ll. CHAPMAN.

\Vitnessesz CHAS. H. BURLnIoI-I, APPLETON P. WILLIAMs. 

